Return Value

A task that represents the asynchronous read operation. The value of the TResult parameter contains the total number of bytes read into the buffer. The result value can be less than the number of bytes requested if the number of bytes currently available is less than the requested number, or it can be 0 (zero) if the end of the stream has been reached.

The ReadAsync method enables you to perform resource-intensive I/O operations without blocking the main thread. This performance consideration is particularly important in a Windows 8.x Store app or desktop app where a time-consuming stream operation can block the UI thread and make your app appear as if it is not working. The async methods are used in conjunction with the async and await keywords in Visual Basic and C#.

Use the CanRead property to determine whether the current instance supports reading.